Ramadan Nights : Forgive and Forget!

Forgiveness is perhaps one of the most difficult actions that an individual has to take sometimes. Especially if you were the one who was wronged and hence feel like you  have every right to blame the other person. Sometimes, that person may have hurt you so much that you can't think of anything but getting revenge on them and making them feel exactly (or even worse) than they made you feel. That's normal. However, while revenge seems like a good idea - it rarely is. This is because it leads to a never ending  negative cycle of two people continuously trying to hurt each other, with neither being fully happy until the other person is completely destroyed. This is almost impossible, as hate only breeds more hate and negativity and hence an individual cannot achieve full happiness through hatred or revenge.

Ramadan Nights : Seek Repentance

Salam Everyone !

I recently came across a picture online, which got me thinking quite a lot. The picture is actually, the second picture on this post. It basically shows a guy checking out somethings on the internet he really shouldn't and wouldn't want other people finding out what it is. However, because he is so caught up in doing this dirty habit in private he has forgotten that the most important being is watching him. Allah of course ! The ayat next to it (you can find it in surat al Nisa ayat 108 ) basically explains how some people are so embarrassed from other humans but not Allah, even thought He is with them all the time and He knows everything they do.

This brings me to the topic, how many of us do/ have done things that we're not really proud of. How many of us sin and brush it off ? Or do certain things, that we know if the prophet was standing right in front of us whilst we were doing these things, we would not have the ability to look up ever again ! If you got that really shameful feeling whilst reading the prophet example, imagine how you would feel in judgement day when Allah subhan wa tallah brings the situation up again and you have to face Him?! 

As humans, it is in our nature to commit sins. Abu Huraryrah once narrated the Prophet to have said ' I swear by the One whose hand is my soul. If you did not commit sins, Allah would have surely gotten rid of all of you and He would have surely brought another people who would commit sins - so that they would then seek Allah's forgiveness and so He would forgive them!' As you can see, Allah expects humans to sin however, He also expects humans to seek His forgiveness - because that is one of the main reasons why we were even created. So we can constantly do Tawabah to Allah.

So how do we repent to Allah ?

1 ) One can repent to Allah, by simply saying 'Istaghferallah' (seeking forgiveness) in all sincerity of quitting and never repeating their sin again and being truly sorry about it.

It is said, that the Prophet Muhammed PBUH used to seek forgiveness 70 times a day ! It is also said, if you ask for forgiveness 70 times (that's saying Istaghferallah x 70 ) all of your sins will be washed out, even if they were the size of the ocean. Of course, there is no limits to how many times you seek forgiveness from God because really, this is a matter between you and Him and only He can be the judge of that.

2) The Prophet PBUH said ' Whoever says it during the day with firm faith in it and dies on the same day before the evening, he will be from the people of Paradise ; and if somebody recites it at night with firm faith in it and dies before the morning he will be from the people of Paradise. '

اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّي لا إِلَهَ إِلا أَنْتَ خَلَقْتَنِي وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ وَأَنَا عَلَى عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُ أَبُوءُ لَكَ بِنِعْمَتِكَ عَلَيَّ وَأَبُوءُ لَكَ بِذَنْبِي فَاغْفِرْ لِي فَإِنَّهُ لا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلا أَنْتَ

“O Allah! You are my Lord! None has the right to be worshiped but You. You created me and I am Your slave, and I am faithful to my covenant and my promise as much as I can. I seek refuge with You from all the evil I have done. I acknowledge before You all the blessings You have bestowed upon me, and I confess to You all my sins. So I entreat You to forgive my sins, for nobody can forgive sins except You.” [Bukhari]

3) The Prophet PBUH said 'whoever commits a sin, then performs wudhu then offers prayer (2 Rak'ahs) seeking forgiveness of God, God will certainly forgive him.'

Tabarani has also quoted the Prophet PBUH saying  'The Scribe on the left delays registering the sin of a Muslim for six hours. If he repents (within the six hours) and seeks Allah's forgiveness, they drop it off. If he doesn't they write it down as a single sin.'

 The Prophet ﷺ tells us in this hadith: “The Scribe on the left delays registering the sin of a Muslim for six hours. If he repents (within these six hours), and seeks Allah’s forgiveness, they drop if off. If he doesn’t, they write is down as a single sin.” [Tabarani]

4) Tasbeeh is another way of seeking forgiveness and repenting. At the end of every Salah, sit for a few moments and remember Allah and say 'Subhanallah' 33 times, 'Alhamdulilah ' 33 times, 'Allahu Akbar' 33 times and after that say the shahadah ' la illah illa allah wahduh la shareek lah, lah il mulk wa lah il hamd wa howa alla kul shay kadeer'( لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له, له الملك, وله الحمد وهو على كل شيء قدير )  

5) The Prophet PBUH also told us, that when we pray the 5 prayers, fast Ramadan, attend the Friday Prayer , then all of our minor sins will be forgiven,

Also, if we constantly seek forgiveness from God and repent, He turns all of our sins in to good deeds :

"Except for those who repent, believe and do righteous work. For them Allah will replace their evil deeds with good. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful.” [Qur'an, 25:70]

~

Sometime we avoid seeking forgiveness, out of fear of being rejected or that it will be too hard. But how can you avoid seeking forgiveness from Allah, when it is also a form of worshiping Him? 

Allah says in a Hadith Qudsi :

“O son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me and ask of Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not mind. O son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and were you then to ask forgiveness of Me, I would forgive you. O son of Adam, were you to come to Me with sins nearly as great as the earth and were you then to face Me, ascribing no partner to Me, I would bring you forgiveness nearly as great as it.” [Tirmidhi

Subhanallah ! May Allah forgive all of us for our sins whether they are minor or major, for certainly He is the al Ghafoor (the Forgiving)  and Al Tawab (the One who constantly accepts repentance)

Stay Blessed & Ramadan Mubarak,

RAMADAN NIGHTS : Why is my Dua not being Answered ?

Has any of you ever asked why your duaa wasn't being answered ? Have you ever wished and needed something so bad but, it just never happened ? Have you ever felt like Allah subhana wa talah wasn't listening ?

In the Quran {2 :186 } Allah Subhana wa Tala Says :

وإذا سألك عبادي عني فإني قريب أجيب دعوة الداع إذا دعان فليستجيبوا لي وليؤمنوا بي لعلهم يرشدون"

"And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me – indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided."

~

It can be frustrating sometimes when you want something so much and nothing is happening for you and you cry and ache and think 'why am I being tortured, what have I done wrong ?' But you need to remember , that Allah never wants to hurt you. He LOVES YOU ! Allah is the only one who is always here for us, He knows you even more than you know yourself and most importantly He knows what the future holds and what is BEST for you.

Allah doesn't reply to your duaa's and needs with words , he replys to them with ACTIONS . Sometimes, this action may only take a few seconds after the duaa for it to come true and sometimes it may take 50 years . All is with reason. Everything, that He does is to guide you to the right path, to make you good and happy and made for Jannah.

"To completely trust in God is to be like a child who knows deeply that even if he does not call for the mother, the mother is totally aware of his condition and is looking after him." –Imam Al Ghazali

Times when duaas are most readily accepted:

* Duaa at the time of Sehri (Surah Ale Imraan, Ayat 17)
* Duaa between azaan and iqaamah (Tirmizi- Anas ibn Maalik (R.A.))
* Duaa made after azaan (Abu Dawood- Sahl ibn Saad (R.A.))
* Duaa after fardh salaat (Tirmizi- Abu Umaamah Al Baahili (R.A.))
* Duaa at the time of Zawaal (midday) (Musnad Bazaar- Ayesha (R.A.))
* Duaa on the day of Arafat (Tirmizi- Abdullah ibn Amr (R.A.))
* Duaa in the month of Ramadhaan (Tabraani- Ubaada ibn Saamil (R.A.))
* Duaa on the 15th of Sha`baan (Sahih ibn Hibbaan- Mu`aaz ibn Sahal)
* Duaa upon completion of Quran (Tabraani- Irbaad ibn Saariyah)
* Duaa at the time of drinking Zam-Zam water (Haakim/Darul Qutni- Ibn Abbas (R.A.))
* Duaa on Wednesday between Zuhr and Asr (Musnad Ahmed- Jaabir (R.A.))

* Duaa on Friday at the following times:
When the Imaam ascends a mimbar for the khutbah till he completes the Jummah Salaah.
-Time between Asr and Maghrib
-The last few moments before maghrib (Sahih Muslim – Abu Hurrairah (R.A))

“I respond and accept the duaa of the one who supplicates unto me”. (Surah Al Baqarah: Ayat 186)

Make lots of Istaghfaar & Pray to Him. He is the only one who can help you.

All will be revealed in time.

Inshallah.

Stay Blessed,

Ramadan Nights : lectures that will change your life

Salam ,

I've put together a few of my favorite lectures here, that are definitely worth listening to. Hope you have a notebook next to you, to jot down a tips and notes on. Enjoy !

Lectures less than 30 minutes ...

Quit Bad Habits - Wisam Sharieff 

Hold on to the Quran - Nouman Ali Khan

The Party At Jannah - Nouman Ali Khan

Purification of the Soul - Omar Suleiman 

Lectures over 30 minutes...

Islam and Ego - Nouman Ali Khan 

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Lectures over 1 hour ...

Taking Hold of Your Future - Nouman Ali Khan

Salah The Greatest Gift - Farhin Abdul Azeez 

For more great Islamic lectures check out this YouTube page Quran Weekly

& Don't forget to post your favorite Islamic lectures on the comments !

Stay Blessed & Ramadan Kareem, 

Friday Inspiration :)

Remember Allah & He Will Remember You ♡

They say, when you feel really depressed , hopeless and that you're missing something in your life. Then it's really your hearts' way of telling you, it's missing it's creator. They say, that the heart needs the nourishment of the deen aka religion and some time devoted to it's creator - God in order to be healthy and so when you feel like you're heartbroken and theres nothing much you can do with life ... because lets admit it life sucks sometimes; it's your heart moaning 'hey man, I need to have a conversation with God.'

Once upon a time, I wasn't close to Islam as I am now. I went through this phase in my life, when I was really caught up with the world. I was intact with my religion, doing the basics like praying, fasting etc but I didn't really understand much of it - just the basic things that I needed to know. At that time, I would go through these phases, when I got really depressed and peeved at the world. Teenage hormones what can I say??  Anyway, so I picked up the Quran, after a suggestion from my dad and I started reading it. After reading a couple of pages, I started feeling a lot better. Like this huge lump was taking off my chest and I could breathe again, feeling much more happier, relaxed and pleased with myself. I can't really explain the feeling, you have to feel it yourself. But, it's very different from any sort of happiness that you can get.So now, everytime my heart starts to hurt abit and I feel uncomfortable or unsatisfied with life, I pick up the Quran and just read. Any surat, any time, anywhere. It's the perfect remedy, to fix a broken heart and an unsatisfied mind.

I definetly recommend it. Try it and once you get that feeling I just told you about, I promise you won't regret it. ~ The best advice you can get, is from your creator. The best conversation you can have is with your creator~

Stay Blessed,

Surat Yusif ♡

Surat Yusif, is probably my favourite surat out of the whole Quran. It tells the story of a young boy, prophet Yusuf, who was taken away from his father by his brothers and throwen in to a well. He was then found by strangers and taken in to slavery, followed by a series of events that caused him to be imprisoned and eventually he became governor of Eygpt. It's a very motivating story because it reminds me that no matter how bad life gets and we feel lost, God is always there watching our every move. The surat is constantly reminding us, that Allah has a plan for everyone ; just like he did for Prophet Yusif. As long as , we stay positive and keep close to God and try our hardest to stay away from the temptations that this life holds, God will take care of us and lead us to the right path.

So ofcourse, I read to this surat everytime I don't really feel well and a bit dazed by life. It's also a great surat to read when you're sitting there and in need of some motivation ; there is so many advice given in this surat that I feel relate to me as a person but, ofcourse they will relate to everyone in a different way. Whilst researching about this surat, I was surprised to read that the surat was sent down to Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) for the same reasons, that I love reading it - motivation.  It was sent down at a time when Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) was dealing with some family issues ; he had just lost his dear wife Khadja (R.A) and his uncle Abu Talib and was being treated horribly by the people in his community , 'Abu Talib'. Allah sent down this surah Yusif to motivate , Muhammed (pbuh) that even people before him had times of difficulties and troubles and that he is not alone. Subhannallah.

Surat Yusuf is also said to be the first Surat to be revealed as a whole and not in bits like the other Surats , it also said to help ease the pain of pregnant women whilst giving birth.

Prophet Muhammed PBUH said. " Teach your relatives the recitation of Surat Yusuf, any muslim who recites it or teachs it to his family, Allah shall ease for him the agony of death and give him the strength that will prevent him from envying a fellow muslim."


This video , shows the entire reading of Surah Yusuf . It is read in arabic however, there are english subtitles on the screen to help explain the events that unfold in it. I really hope you will take some time and watch this video . It's really amazing especially that feeling you get after listening to it. Enjoy.

If you would like to study more about this surat of the blessed prophet Yusuf then visit this website : http://muslimmatters.org/2011/04/22/the-best-of-stories-pearls-from-surah-yusuf-part-1/ it is a very informative site that talks about the surat with much more depth and includes a video by a Shaykh.

Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE for more posts & TWEET me on http://twitter.com/nouralovee 

Stay Blessed,

 

The Benefits of Ayat Al Kursi ♡

Everyone knows that the Quran is a great way to keep bad things away and learn about anything you need to know, to living a blessed life. However, there is an ayat in particular that even the prophet Muhammed PBUH spoke of, that is said to give it's reader great benefits in this life and the after life upon reading it. Unless you haven't read the title of this article then by now you should know that the ayat is ... Ayat Al Kursi. (It is found on verse 254 - 255 of the Quran I believe in Surat Al Baqara).

Here are some of the many advantages of this blessed ayat :

1 - It is the cheif ayat of the Quran & is said to be from the threshold of the throne of Allah.
2- It includes 'Ism el Azeem' (the blessed name of Allah, that when made in a duaa the duaa will be fulfilled )
3-  Whoever recites ayat al Kursi after each prayer will be protected until the next prayer ; and there will be no barrier between him/her from Jannah (paradise) except for death.
4- When it is read before bed, God will send down an angel to protect the reader until morning.
5- Whoever reads it upon entering a home ; Satan will find it impossible to stay and will run away.
6-  When the ayat is recited upon leaving your home ; Allah will send down 70,000 angels to do 'istighfaar' (repent) for the you.
7-  When the ayat is recited in the morning, the reader will be protected by Allah until the evening.
8-  When the ayat is recited ,the reader, his children, home, wealth, property and the homes of his neighbours are safe.
9 - When recited with the last Ayat of Surah Baqarah then the plea of the reader will not go unattended.
10 - Whosoever reads it together with the last Ayats of Surah Baqarah (including ayat al kursi), Shaitaan does not enter his home for at least three days.
11- When one is alone in the house, recitation of Ayatul Kursi and asking Allah for help will make you remain calm and you will not fear.

Here are some quotes by the Prophet Muhammed PBUH and other holy men about the ayat :

 Hadhrat Abu Qatada (RA) narrates that Prophet (SAW) : Whoever reads Ayatul Kursi and the last Ayat of Surah Baqarah when in difficulty, then Allaah listens to that plea."

Hadhrat Ibne Anas (ra) says the Prophet  (saw) said: The one who recites Ayatul Kursi after every Fard Salaat, Allaah will grant him a gratifying heart, actions of the truthful and reward like the prophets (ambiya) .Special mercies will descend upon him, and death is the only barrier from his entrance into Jannat. On dying he will enter Jannat"

Hadhrat Ibne Masood (ra) says that a person requested Rasulallaah (saw) to teach him something that will benefit him. "Nabi (saw) said "Read Ayatul Kursi, it will protect you, your children, home and even those houses surrounding your house."

Holy Prophet (SAWW) said: Qur’an is a great word, and Surae Baqarah is the leader of the Qur’an and Ayatul Kursi is the leader of Surae Baqarah. In Ayatul Kursi there are 50 words and for each word there are 50 blessings and good in it

Allah told Prophet Musa (AS): If one recites it after every salaat, the Almighty will make his heart a thankful one (Shakireen), will give him a reward of the prophets, and his deeds will be like those of the truthful (Siddiqeen).

Holy prophet (SAWW) said: whoever recites the first 4 ayats of Surae Baqarah, then Ayatul Kursi and then the last 3 ayats of Surah e Baqarah, will not be inflicted with any kind of difficulty in his wealth or himself, Satan will not come near him and he will not forget the Qur’an.

Ayat Al Kursi (in English - arab pronounciation) :

Allahu la ilaha illa huwa Al -Haiyul-Qaiyum
La ta'khudhuhu sinatun wa la nawm
lahu ma fi as-samawati wa ma fil-'ard
Man dhal-ladhi yashfa'u 'indahu illa bi-idhnihi
Ya'lamu ma bayna aydihim wa ma khalfahum
wa la yuhituna bi shai'in min 'ilmihi illa bima sha'a
Wasi'a kursiyuhus-samawati wal ard
wa la ya'uduhu hifdhuhuma wa Hu wal 'Aliyul-Adheem

If you don't have any time to read it or you don't own a Quran , take some time and listen to this beautiful recitation of the ayat (EVEN if you are not Muslim) :

This is also a really good website to read the Quran online : http://www.quranflash.com/en/quranflash.html

To read more about the benefits of quran click here

I always wanted to announce to all you guys ... to check out & follow 'muslim941' on instagram ! They post very beneficial posts about Islam including daily duas ! Really encourage you all to check it out :) so Inshallah we all benefit ! :)

Stay Blessed,

For the Love of Allah ♡

Ibn Qayyim said that there are ten things that bring about the love of Allah:

1) Recitation of the Quran with reflection and with understanding of its meanings.

2) Seeking closeness to Allah by performing voluntary deeds after having performed obligatory ones, for that leads one to the highest levels of love.

3) Remembering Allah during every situation—with one’s time, heart, and deeds…one’s share of that love is to the degree of one’s share in that remembrance.

4) Preferring what He loves to what you love when your desires are strong.

5) Allowing your heart to reflect of His Name and Attributes.

6) Reflection on His many favors and blessings, both the apparent ones and the hidden ones, for that leads to His love.

7) Having your heart softened as it is worshipping Allah.

8) Being alone with Him in worship when He descends during the last third of the night. And this means to invoke Him, to recite His Speech, to stand with all sincerity and with good manners and with good submission, and then to end that with repentance and with seeking His forgiveness.

9) Sitting with those who are truthful in their love of Allah.

10) Staying away from all that creates barriers between the heart and Allah.

Not so hard is it ?

Stay Blessed ,



Cure for a Bad Day ♡

O Allah You are The One Who pardons greatly, and loves to pardon, so pardon me.

I love this dua, I always try to remember it whenever I have a bad day or get in to a sticky situation. Oh and for those who don't know what 'Allah' means... it's 'God' in arabic. Islam, has taught me that people will change, times will change, minds will change but one thing that will always stay the same is the AlMighty. He will always be there, He will always be watching, His love for his creations is endless , even stronger than the love of a mother to her newborn baby. So, when my world seems to be crashing ... I turn to him. Even though it is tempting sometimes, to blame everyone and everything include Allah but, that's what the Shaytan wants from us. It's one of his oldest most effective tricks. However, it's really important to remember that Allah has put you in to the situation, as a test , it is the Shaytan who is trying to make you fail and Allah is the only one who can get you past it. Turn to him because you know that you don't have anyone else to turn to.

This is a really motivating video by one of my favourite Islamic Lecturers , Nouman Ali Khan. Please Watch it, it really inspired me !

Allahu Akbar ♡





Remember, relax , chill ... God knows exactly where you are and where you are heading. He's going to bless you very soon !

Stay Blessed,